Christmas pudding soufflé

12 eggs, plus two yolks

175g/6oz sugar 1 dessert spoon extra sugar

100g/4oz plain flour

500ml/1 pint milk

30g/1oz butter

Vanilla pod

225g/8oz Christmas pudding

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. In a bowl beat two whole eggs and two yolks with the sugar until creamy and pale. Heat milk with the butter and split vanilla pod. Pour over the mixture, whisking continuously. Add 10 yolks while heating. Then, off the heat, beat until just warm.

Crumble Christmas pudding and stir in the crumbs. Whisk the egg whites with a dessert spoon of sugar until stiff and fold in.

Ladle mixture into buttered ramekins. Bake for 12 minutes until well-risen. Serve with prune and Armagnac ice-cream, or prunes soaked in Cognac.